A Selfish Act for Love
by darrenloveschris
Summary: Darcy removes Bingley from Jane Bennet on the pretext of saving him from an unhappy marriage when really he wants him all to himself. Little does he know that the feelings of something more than friendship may actually be returned... *If this pairing offends you, then DON'T READ IT
1. Chapter 1

It was a cool morning as the four friends and the rest of their servants rode from Netherfield Park in the direction of London. It was to be a long journey and Darcy felt his heart race as he snuck a glance at his friend Bingley who stared woefully out the carriage window. Within the small space amongst deep blue velvet and cushioned bench seats there was a muggy feeling of awkwardness. Mr Hurst was, as usual, immune to such social issues as he rested his head against the wall in a drunken slumber. The two women, Miss Caroline Bingley and Mrs Louisa Hurst continued to look nervously at each other but thankfully refrained from whispering as regards the silence of their brother and his best friend. There had been little warning before the house was packed up and locked up and both Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst were rather puzzled as to why they were fleeing the countryside. It was true that neither one favoured the society in the slightest – there was little talent or beauty or culture here – but they knew Charles to have a very high regard for the place and most especially for his quiet, blonde Miss Jane Bennet.

"I will be very pleased to return to London I am sure", said Caroline in an attempt to break the silence. Mrs Hurst nodded enthusiastically but the men ignored her; Mr Darcy writing a long letter to his sister, while Mr Bingley continued to stare out the window and Mr Hurst gave a great snore but slept on.

"Indeed, Caroline", added Mrs Hurst. "It is so very pleasant to return to one's home with one's own people."  
"I care nothing for _your people_, Louisa", muttered Bingley to the green wilderness beyond the window. Louisa stared at her sister with wide eyes, seemingly quite unable to comprehend that it was their gentile brother whom had just snapped at her. Charles Bingley had not spoken to her in such a harsh manner since he was a very young boy and it startled her immensely. Mr Darcy had, at least, shown some response to Charles' words and looked at the man unhappily, his mind clearly troubled, but said nothing.

Darcy presently sat at his large cedar desk with only a single candle for light, trying to clear his mind of all thoughts, and failing dismally. He couldn't escape from the fact that Bingley was so very downcast. Darcy had acted selfishly before, many times in fact, but he felt nothing could quite match this latest act. It was, to be sure, an act of betrayal to his friend of so many years, but although he felt quite guilty about it, he simply couldn't bring himself to regret speaking up about the Bennet girl and convincing them all to return to the city.

Jane Bennet's beauty and her good and caring nature were unable to be contested. Darcy truly believed her to be in love with Bingley despite what he had so adamantly argued to the man the night previously. They had been sitting in the smoking room well after supper, Caroline and Louisa having left for bed hours before, and Mr Hurst slept fitfully on a sofa by the large, dark window.

"Bingley, there is nothing for you here", he had said quietly to his friend. "I know you believe yourself to be in love, but it is a passing fancy, a folly. She clearly does not love you in return, not in the way you deserve, anyway. I think it best that we remove ourselves to London so there is no danger of you being trapped by that… family." Bingley had listened intently to his words and by the end Darcy saw a slight dampness to his eyes that he cursed himself for having been the cause of.

"I'm sorry Bingley, really I am. But I think it is for the best."

From there, the man had not taken much convincing and Darcy had gone to rouse the servants and tell them of the swift departure the following day.

It had been cruel, Darcy knew, to separate Bingley and Jane, but Darcy knew in his heart that it was for the best. Bingley could not possibly end up with this girl, and Darcy didn't think he could bare it if he knew he were to lose the man he loved to a country girl with such a family. He had reconciled himself long ago to the fact that he had little chance gaining Bingley's deepest affections, but if his friend were to end up with someone else, Darcy would make absolute sure that the woman was worthy of him.

Sitting in his dark bed chambers in nothing but his crisp, white nightshirt though, he felt a twitch in his resolve. Now that he had removed Bingley from the girl, from the country, he had him all to himself. Darcy didn't want to let go of that. Maybe in time Bingley would come to see that they could become more than friends – "no", he whispered harshly to himself. It was impossible. His most secret of dreams would never reach reality. No matter how much it hurt, he would have to push those dreams aside and work on making Bingley the happiest he could be, with the worthiest of wives.

Bingley could not make out the painting on the ceiling of his large, warm bed chamber that night. The moon was nowhere to be seen and he had long since snuffed the candle by his bed. Despite the lack of anything to look at, Bingley had been lying there, with his eyes open, for over four hours. He simply couldn't get to sleep, he didn't bother trying for his head continued to swirl with unhappy thoughts. He was ashamed to say that those thoughts did not revolve around the young Miss Jane Bennet however. He had been loathed to leave her, she was excellent company, sweet and funny, however he had come to see her as nothing more than a companion, a good friend. No, the person that filled his head, and had done since the night before, was the tall, proud, Darcy. He couldn't help but think that Darcy had convinced him to leave so that he could escape Bingley's company. The two friends, Caroline, Louisa and Mr Hurst had been living in Netherfield for months and he had long held the worry that Darcy was growing tired of him. This part of the country and Netherfield itself was incomparable to the majestic Pemberly, and Bingley feared that living in the house with him with little to do and no ladies of beauty or promise had starved his friend of enjoyment.

Bingley sighed and his shoulders slumped; he knew he was wrong in thinking it, pathetic even, but how he wished it was _his_ company that Darcy sought, _his _looks and humour, and dare he think it, _his_ kisses to be stolen in the shadows of a ball. He turned over, utterly restless, and wished that there was some God in heaven that could make his dreams come true, some way of getting Darcy to fall for him and not some odious young woman that wanted him only for his dark features and great wealth.


	2. Chapter 2

The breakfast table that morning seemed even more laden with every delight that London had to offer, but Darcy noticed none of it. He sat broodingly at his spot at the head of the table and as his upbringing would not allow him to commit anything slightly improper, stared unseeingly at the food rather than playing with it. Around the table sat Darcy's beautiful young sister Georgiana, Mr Hurst, Bingley's sisters, and Bingley himself, opposite Darcy. Darcy noticed that Bingley, too, found little to interest him in the spread before them that morning, and even refused to laugh good-humouredly at Caroline's teasing. Darcy cursed himself inwardly for having caused his friend this pain. He shouldn't have done it. But then... if he had not, Bingley would have been back at Longbourne in Jane Bennet's arms, and not, dare he think it, in his.

_This was it_, he decided. He would tell Bingley the truth, whatever it cost him. The two friends had always been unfailingly honest with one another, and he knew that this was no time to change that. He stepped somewhat hesitantly into the drawing room to find his friend alone, sitting with a book in his favourite chair.

He walked to the mantelpiece and Bingley looked up at him questioningly. His raised eyebrows only became more pronounced however, as Darcy began to pace in front of the fire rather than coming straight out with whatever he wanted to say, as he had always done before.

After a few minutes Bingley could bear it no longer, "good God man, what is it?"

Darcy laughed a little at this phrase Bingley had just adopted, however the smile was soon erased from his lips as he remembered what he was about to tell.

"Charles", he began, "there is something that I must tell you. Something you must know." Bingley's face grew slightly sombre and he waited for Darcy to continue.

"I did not believe Jane Bennet to be a good match for you Bingley, so I convinced you that she didn't love you, however I know that she in fact does." Once he had begun, the words just flowed out and he could neither stop nor control them for a time. "It was wrong of me, very wrong of me. I took it upon myself to 'save' you from the girl and her ghastly family and I should not have presumed to do so. I completely comprehend it if you would wish to now sever the friendship, I deserve it for the meddling that I once believed was below me.

Bingley stared at Darcy in utter shock for a full minute before bursting out laughing. He continued to laugh and had to hold his stomach as the cramps began to set in. Darcy was dumbfounded and could say nothing but watch his friend in what he could only imagine was some sort of nervous breakdown. After some time however, Bingley's laughter died down and he could speak.

"And it is this that has been worrying you so? You have been so very off colour ever since the last night in Netherfield. I thought you were pining for London but then when we returned your surliness only intensified. So you have been worrying about me this whole time? Worrying about my feelings?

"Well, yes!" Darcy stuttered. "Of course I was not pining for London. I have been feeling so very guilty for meddling in your private life."

"Oh Darcy", Bingley smiled. "Jane Bennet was a sweet girl to be sure, but I did not love her. I was in fact glad of you interference as it allowed us to return to London without question from my sisters or from Miss Bennet. Your fabricated story saved me. I fear that I would have been forced to make some offer to Miss Bennet if we had remained. I owe you everything."

Darcy was utterly perplexed. "So this is how you feel?" he managed.

"Yes", Bingley replied, the broad smile on his face being replaced by an extremely intense stare that seemed to sizzle. Darcy felt something stir in his stomach but he pushed it down. Oh how he longed to step forward and move closer to those eyes, to those lips, but just because Bingley was not fond of the Bennet girl didn't mean that his affections had fallen on him. _No_, he told himself. Do not even think it. Do not hope.


End file.
